AIRWAY HEIGHTS – No one can fully plan for an emergency, and it’s on this premise that Akira’s Foundation was born.
Started in mid-summer 2019, Akira’s Foundation’s mission is to help families of medical emergency patients — some life-threatening — with lodging and transportation along with meals and clothing if the need arises. It’s about meeting needs Foundation co-founder Linda Harris struggled with when her granddaughter, Akira Presson, was severely burned on May 15.
The seven-year-old was served a Cup of Noodles microwaved too hot by her trained caregiver. The heat of the initial sip, Harris said, startled the girl, causing her to drop the cup onto her lap.
The result were severe burns requiring her to be Life-flighted from Airway Heights to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she remained for over a month, going through several surgeries.
“She’ll probably have surgery regularly for the next 10 years,” Harris said.
The family wanted to be close to Akira, but struggled finding lodging. Harris said they tried the local Ronald McDonald House but were told that was limited to children.
The family checked hotels close to the hospital, but even with a discount, found room rates running over $300 a night. They finally found a room in Federal Way, but while 30 minutes distant from Harborview, was over two hours travel time in Seattle traffic and still expensive.
Harris said the bill for the month-long stay in Seattle to be with her granddaughter topped $6,000 in motels and transportation alone, with other needs such as food adding to the tally. While “in a good spot financially,” Harris said it was still a strain, adding at Harborview they met a family who had been attending to an injured member for 17 months.
“It’s so stressful when you have somebody in critical condition,” she said. “The number one cause of bankruptcy is a medical emergency.”
After the family returned to Airway Heights in mid-June, Harris and her daughter Alisha, Akira’s mom, sat down and decided something needed to be done — and Akira’s Foundation was born. The ultimate goal is to purchase a former motel and transform it into Akira’s House as a place for out-of-town families to stay while their loved ones are undergoing emergency medical procedures, but until that time the Foundation hopes to provide items like vouchers and discounts to help with lodging as well as transportation assistance.
Harris said they are also working with community organizations, such as Meals on Wheels, and churches to provide meals and clothing to families in crisis. They are also fundraising with another organization on April 25, St. Margaret’s House, which provides shelter for domestic violence victims and victims of human trafficking.
Akira’s Foundation has received support from the West Plains Angels organization and the Airway Heights Fire Department, which includes a link to the foundation’s website on its webpage. Department volunteers helped sell tickets for a May 1 benefit concert for the foundation at Northern Quest Resort and Casino featuring music by the Mojo Party Band.
Harris knows they have a long way to go to realize their goal. The foundation hopes to apply for federal funding, but must be a non-profit organization for two years before submitting an application. Until that time, they will be doing fundraisers — with information and tickets available on their website — in the hopes of at least providing some financial resources for families undergoing life-changing medical emergencies.
“You never know when a family member could end up going to Seattle,” Harris said. “You have no idea.”
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)